Page 22 of Campaign Season
“Tell you the truth?”
Candace nodded.
“I had a good day.”
Candace smiled.
“I could have done without the television appearance,” Jameson admitted.
“Was it that bad?”
“No.” It wasn’t.
“You like Aubrey Peters,” Candace observed.
“Yeah. I do. You will, too.”
“You may have just helped her win that seat.”
“Nah. I just added some comic relief.”
Candace sobered. “No, Jameson.” She took a deep breath. “I made a call this afternoon.”
Jameson tilted her head.
“To Aubrey Peters,” Candace said.
“To apologize?” Jameson asked lightly.
“To thank her. I haven’t heard you laugh that much in a long time. And the truth is, I haven’t either.”
“Candace, I?—”
“It’s okay. I understand. It’s a privilege living here. That doesn’t mean it isn’t also problematic. We keep saying we’ll find our new normal. We can’t find it, Jameson. We have to create it.”
“I know. What did Aubrey say?” Jameson wondered.
“After she thanked me about a hundred times, she told me that you made her think differently about this race—why it matters.”
“I don’t know how I did that.”
“I do. You were yourself. You always are, Jameson. There’s no pretense with you—it’s not in your nature. You put people at ease. You also make them feel seen. You might hate politics, but you’d make a damn good candidate—an even better leader.”
Jameson smiled. “I think you give me a little more credit than I deserve.”
“No. I don’t.” Candace took a deep breath. “I need to go home for a few days.”
“I know. I talked to Marianne on my way to Michigan. She’s going to talk to Jonah and Laura tomorrow. Then she’ll call you.”
Candace sighed. “I wish I could bottle tonight.”
Jameson nodded. “Well, maybe you can’t bottle it. You can watch it on repeat.”
Candace chuckled. “I meant?—”
“I know. It felt a lot like being back in Schoharie. I felt it, too. Maybe that should tell us something.”
“I should make sure you get sent on more outdoor expeditions?” Candace teased.
